DEAR DR. GOTT: Please tell me why doctors prescribe Seroquel to elderly dementia patients when warnings about the drug clearly state that it is not for the elderly who suffer from dementia. One patient on the medication at an assisted living facility almost stopped eating completely and was rushed to the hospital very ill. She was then taken to a nursing home in hospice care and did well but is now back on Seroquel and is clearly losing weight again. It seems the patients on this drug are like zombies and do not have an appetite.

DEAR READER: Seroquel is an anti-psychotic used to treat schizophrenia in those individuals – believe it or not – from the age of 13 and up and for bipolar disorder in those 10 and older. It may also be combined with anti-depressants in adults. [Read more...]